Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 617
JOHN W. GRIMES

An enumeration of the popular citizens of Harrison county, Iowa, would be incomplete without specific mention of the well known and popular real estate man whose name forms the caption of this brief biographical sketch. A member of one of the older and highly esteemed families of this locality and himself a high-minded and public-spirited man of affairs, he has stamped the impress of his individuality upon the community. He has always been actuated by a spirit of fairness in his dealings with the world in general and has left no stone unturned whereby he might benefit his own condition as well as that of his friends and the favored section of this great commonwealth wherein he has been content to spend his life. Genial and obliging in his manner he enjoys the good will and respect of a wide circle of friends and acquaintances throughout this section.

John W. GRIMES, known throughout this section as a leading real estate and insurance man, is a native son of Harrison county, having first seen the light of day at Logan on September 9, 1870, being the eldest son of William and Alcinda (TUCKER) GRIMES. The mother was born and raised in Rock Island county, Illinois, while the father was a native of Muskingum county, Ohio. In 1860, when quite a young man, William GRIMES decided to try his fortunes in the west, and got as far as Rock Island county, Illinois, where he located and two years later married. Shortly after marriage he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and had an interesting career during his three years of service. He was connected with the Seventh Army Corps, Western Division, and among other engagements saw active service at Vicksburg and Shiloh. He was detailed as a telegraph messenger and had many interesting experiences in connection with that service. He was mustered out at Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1865, and immediately returned to his home in Illinois and then back to Arkansas where he remained some time in the federal telegraph service. In 1867 he came to this state, locating in Marshall county, where he remained for a year and later, on March 1, 1869, came to Harrison county, moving his family to Logan, where for a time he operated a livery business. After disposing of his livery stable, he operated a drug store for a couple of years and after selling this business to William GIDDINGS, he went to Neola, in Pottawattamie county, where he remained for a couple of years. He then returned to Harrison county and procured a farm in Union township, where he devoted his time to agriculture for a number of years and in 1894 sold out and went to Arkansas. He remained there for a time, later moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where his death occurred on July 5, 1899, in his sixty-seventh year. After her husband's death, Mrs. GRIMES returned to Woodbine, where she still makes her home.

To William and Alcinda (TUCKER) GRIMES were born five children, as follow: Emma, who is the wife of M. W. GUTCHER residing at LaCombe, Oregon; the second child in order of birth is the immediate subject of this sketch; the third is Della, who is Mrs. L. J. JOHNSON, of Greencastle, Missouri; Kate, who resides in Woodbine with the mother, and the youngest of the family is Charles R., who is a farmer in Douglas township, this county. William GRIMES had the reputation of being one of the best horsemen in this section of the country, his stables being known as the home of some of the best horses of those days. He owned a stallion named "Cub" which was of the famous Messenger strain and was for a number of years considered the best horse in the county. "Cub" died at the advanced age of thirty-three years.

John W. GRIMES received his elementary schooling in the public schools of Union township, this county, later attending the high school at Portsmouth, Iowa. He then entered the Woodbine Normal School, from which he was graduated in 1892 and in 1895 completed his studies at the state normal at Cedar Falls. Previous to completing his studies at the institution last named he had been teaching for five years and for two years had been principal of the schools at Ute, Monona county, this state. After completing his studies he taught for but one term, when he decided to abandon his intention of making teaching his life work and entered the real estate field, where he saw splendid opportunities. He has been justified in his decision and is considered one of the leading men of this section in his chosen field. He deals in all kinds of farm lands, city property, handles loans and insurance and all the other lines incidental to his work.

Mr. GRIMES has been twice married, his first wife having been Maud LOVE, daughter of James L. and Emma R. (STROBE) LOVE, with whom he was united in marriage on August 15, 1900. Her parents are still living in Woodbine, her father having retired from active business after having been one of the leading real estate men of his day. In his youth he mastered the bricklaying and plasterer's trade and later was a barber previous to entering the real estate field. By his first wife, Mr. GRIMES had one child, Donovan, and her death occurred on December 12, 1902. His second wife was Mary C. FINLAY, daughter of Martin and Margaret (CLARKE) FINLAY, with whom he was united in marriage on January 26, 1906. She was born in Tarrytown, New York state. To this second union three children have been born, Helen, Edith and Irene, all of whom remain at home with their parents.

Mr. GRIMES has for many years been active in the affairs of the community and is one of Woodbine's stanchest citizens, ever anxious to do all within his power to advance her interests along social, moral, educational or material lines. For nine years he has been a member of the school board of the city, serving as president eight years of the time. He holds his fraternal affiliation with the ancient order of Free Masonry, and is past master of the local lodge, while at Dunlap he has taken higher work than the Woodbine lodge affords and has attained the chapter degree. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. GRIMES gives his support to the Progressive party and is one of the most enthusiastic of its adherents in this section. It is quite unnecessary to add that Mr. GRIMES is highly respected by all who know him throughout the locality where he lives and where he has spent practically his entire life. He has been found faithful to every trust and because of his sterling worth and genial manner he wins and retains the regard of every one with whom he is associated.

Return to 1915 Biographical G Surnames Index

Back to 1915 Biographies Index